Formation of Metastable Atoms of Phosphorus, Arsenic and Antimony by Flash Photolysis

Abstract

ELECTRONICALLY excited atoms (²D⁰, ²P⁰) of phosphorus, arsenic and antimony have been observed in absorption after isothermal flash photolysis of phosphine, arsine and stibine. These metastable atoms were also observed with phosphorus trichloride and tribromide, arsenic trichloride and tribromide, and antimony trichloride. So far, nine atomic lines of phosphorus, eight of arsenic and forty-four of antimony have been identified, arising from the excited states, and two transitions involving the ground state (⁴S⁰) of antimony have also been observed. The states involved and the transitions observed are listed in Table 1. Several of the transitions were also observed in emission and these are indicated by an asterisk in Table 1.